Repossessed

by Shawntelle Madison

  “Sounds vaguely familiar, but I don’t know him personally.”

  “Most wouldn’t. He’s too busy pissing on everyone’s parade from the fifth dimension.” She leaned forward so she could think. There had to be another way for her to directly reach the car. If she’d managed to wrangle a goblet from a leprechaun pimp, the sky sure as hell shouldn’t be the limit.

  “What’s that on your back?” he asked.

  “What?” She tried to reach behind her back. Her fingers brushed against something rough and pointy.

  Oh no.

  “There’s a wand on your back,” he said.

  “Can you take it off?”

  Rob pulled and yanked, but the wand refused to budge. With little effort, she managed to grab the wand.

  “It’s a water witch wand. I used it to try to find the scroll.”

  He grinned and cocked an eyebrow.

  “I did not steal this! Don’t you dare think such a thing.”

  He chuckled.

  He probably thought she waltzed out of there with it. “Can you open the portal again? I’m perfectly willing to toss it back inside.”

  Rob pulled the golden amulet from his pocket. He waved it in the air, but nothing happened. He forcefully shook the amulet again. “It’s activated by a repo’ed item.”

  She checked the wand. There weren’t any markings or names.

  “Any way to find out the owner then? Maybe the wand isn’t on any records. Either way, you can hold onto it until you open another gate.” She offered him the wand. He tried to grab it, but the twig refused to release its hold on her hand.

  “It’s chosen a new owner.”

  “You can’t be serious. Wands don’t choose owners. My aunts used to buy them all the time. None of them did this.”

  “Those were cheap wands from outdoor flea markets. You wouldn’t see me coming to repo those pieces of junk.”

  “Well, until I can find the owner, I’ll store it somewhere.” She held it in her hand, wondering where she could hide it until she returned home. Only crazy people with carts and folks heading to a costume party carried sticks like this.

  With a verbal command, she willed it to collapse. Nothing happened.

  “You’re its owner. Command it to disappear.”

  She gave him a dirty look.

  He positioned himself behind her. All up close and personal. “Like this.” He grabbed her hand. Directed her movements as he recited an incantation for her to repeat. The wand twitched, and then blinked out of sight.

  A soft laugh emerged from her lips. “How nice…”

  His hands slipped down Tessa’s sides and rested on her hips. Through the thin material of her skirt, she could feel the heat from his hands. His lips grazed her head as he inhaled deeply.

  Fire coursed through her veins, leaving her heady with yearning. All this back and forth between them, she was ready to burst. One hand slid over her belly, while another gripped her hip. The evidence of his arousal pressed against her as his head descended to rain kisses along her neck.

  “Come with me. To my place,” he whispered.

  Could she head to his home, where his aunt and uncle potentially slept a room away? Not that she expected to have wild monkey sex from wall-to-wall, but the prospects dampened the mood. She stepped forward, taking a moment to catch her breath. He didn’t speak a word as she gathered her thoughts.

  Hadn’t she told all her clients to follow the rules of courtship? To go on dates and meet the right man? No trysts. Establish a long-term relationship. But at this very moment, she looked at Rob and didn’t give a damn.

  Weren’t certain rules meant to be broken?

  They’d approached this point together, but right now she had an opportunity for an out, for an escape. The words didn’t come out. Instead, she offered a trembling hand into his outstretched one.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Dating Tip #11: Keep reevaluating your growing relationship for positive forward movement. Especially, if your date is gazing at your leg considering how tasty you would be if she took a bite.

  The ride to Rob’s place was a blur. They didn’t make a sound as they bounded the stairs to his room. A single lamp illuminated a dim corner in the sitting room. Once they reached the darkness at the top of the stairs, he pulled Tessa along into a suite at the far end of the hallway.

  With the door shut behind her, she expected him to fling her on his king-size bed. Instead, his eager hands cornered her at the door. Her back pressed into old wood, she leaned forward to capture his lips. He avoided her, grinding his hips against hers. She was ready to reciprocate, to offer everything.

  “You’ve teased me all this time. No more games.”

  A soft moan escaped her mouth when he foiled her next attempt to kiss him.

  He pushed her against the creaking door again.

  “Rob, the noise!” she whispered.

  “There are many things I’m capable of. If your screaming is a problem, then that’s the least of our troubles.” The thin veil of a masking spell descended along the walls. The buttons of her red blouse unsnapped. The discarded buttons echoed along the walls.

  To prove his point, he pounced, nipping Tessa’s neck as his hand snaked up from her waist to rub the nipples that poked out underneath. Another hand yanked her blouse open so his head could descend. As his mouth worked its way downward, she tried to hold back a whimper. Shirt gone. Bra discarded. She bit her lip, the shiver uncontrollable as he found his target. All she could do was grab his hair as he traced a circle around each nipple then sucked. His warm kisses between her breasts turned into future sites for hickies.

  Invisible fingers unzipped her skirt. The masking spell she placed on the skirt wavered but held. Rob worked overtime tonight on spellcasting. Would he have enough energy to complete what he asked her to come here for? “Pretty big spell to hold for a span of time.”

  He ignored her and pulled down her skirt. She averted her eyes as he grabbed her panties and jerked them down for her to step out of them. Instead of standing, he shocked her senses with kisses along her thighs.

  These weren’t short and quick. Every kiss included a brief swirl of his tongue before his lips connected with her skin. Tessa sucked in a breath as his head hovered below, his lips resting only inches from her inner thighs. With a firm grip, he squeezed her buttocks. He came up for a brief moment to dart his tongue into her belly button.

  Damn it, he was so good with that thing. Each touch fed the fire within her. Then he descended until he traced a path along her bikini line. Lower and lower. Her legs quivered, but he held her in place. Then he stopped.

  Fully clothed, he led her to the bed, his warm hand intertwined with hers. He pushed her onto her back so he could undress. Her body burned with need as he pulled his shirt off and tossed his pants aside. Based on the way his eyes blazed and the tight line of his mouth, she knew he enjoyed watching her watching him. Especially when he discarded his briefs…

  Now that is a wand I’d like to wield.

  Her eyes lingered on his length before they admired his hardened stomach. The muscles clenched twice before he leaned forward. She spied the dark rings of tattoos along his long arms, the faint scars along his left shoulder.

  Rob climbed onto the bed, sliding the hard muscles of his body along hers. Tessa ached for him to kiss her. To kiss her like that night during the bar fight. But when she leaned toward his lips, he shifted downward until he opened her legs. Would he really go there their first night? Would he really… Why yes, he would. She tried to squirm away as the manipulation of his tongue turned from a burning bonfire into an overflowing eruption. He nipped, sucked, manipulated flesh like a master. She bucked again. Hands clasped her bottom to hold her in place again. Panting turned to begging.

  “Rob, please…”

  Suddenly, her back arched. She climaxed. She released months of pent up frustration as she grasped for anything to hold onto: His hair, the bed sheets, and finally a pillow within reach.


  As her breathing slowed, the sweat bathing her skin cooled. She’d never made such noises before. She hoped he really did mask the room, or else his aunt and uncle would’ve heard enough to convince themselves to never have dinner with her again.

  After he brushed his lips against her inner thigh, he trailed kisses along her hipbones, pausing briefly nuzzle her belly button. Almost as if there was no rush. He slowly positioned himself between her legs.

  Dark eyes caressed her nakedness. “If you tell me no, I’ll stop now.” Ragged breaths fanned her face. She could feel his cock against her thigh, so tantalizingly close to the place where his head had been before. All of this teasing, all of this maddening manipulation of her limbs to bring her to this single point where she had to make a choice again. Hadn’t she come here willingly? And climbed up the stairs to his room two steps at a time?

  “Tessa, I’m not a man who pursues any woman,” he growled.

  She lifted her hips with urgency. He moved out of the way.

  “Tell me yes…”

  “I think I already said that more times than I can count.” She grinned.

  “I’m serious.” He pressed the swollen tip against her center and then withdrew. Oh, mercy!

  What did he want her to say? Was he telling her this wasn’t a one-night stand? “Yes, Rob…” Tessa’s words trailed into a long guttural moan as he pushed into her body. He punished her for her reluctance, pumping his hips as she held onto his back. The whole time, his eyes stayed locked with hers, watching her face as she tried to resist the ever-increasing pleasure.

  “I need you…” he whispered.

  Finally, he reunited their lips. Her hands moved to caress his face as the kiss deepened. All she could do was hold onto him. Savor his touch. Why did she wait so damn long? The grip on her hips tightened. The pleasure rose to agonizing levels. She thought the pain of his hands would surpass the sweet agony of release, but with an urgent whisper of her name his hard body turned to stone above her a few seconds afterwards.

  After things settled between them, he rolled off, pulling her into the crook of his arm. A contentment Tessa hadn’t felt for years washed over her, leaving her grinning from ear-to-ear like a goofy college freshman. And all it took was one night with a repo man.

  The next morning, Rob woke up to arms wrapped around him and a warm breath against his shoulder. A beautiful woman pressed against his back. As he stretched, he couldn’t help smiling. He turned over to draw her closer to him. She was soft in all the right places.

  “Why can’t I wake up like this every morning?” she purred.

  He kissed her lips again. They might be at it for hours again with the way she knew how to kiss. He drifted to her neck and licked her pulse point. Her heart raced for him. From that spot he drifted upwards. Against her cheek, he inhaled, taking in her perfumed skin. Asking her to stay the night hadn’t been planned. If he’d truly thought about it, he would’ve held back, but as he nibbled on her sensitive earlobe, he decided he’d made a good decision.

  There was no turning back now. Consequences be damned.

  “You know, if you let people get to know you, they might find out you’re not such a burly bear,” she whispered between kisses.

  She’d gotten chatty. He’d have to remedy that. “My attitude keeps the crazies away.”

  “But what about acting nice—” She tried to speak and only managed to gasp. “That tongue of yours is the bane of my existence.”

  “I enjoy putting him to work.” He turned her around so her back faced him. A much better position for what he had in mind. His hand left her waist to trail up to her breasts. Gently, he rubbed his fingertips over the nipples, grazing them again and again. Her gasps excited him, hardening him even faster. She was so soft, so warm. He couldn’t help thrusting forward, attempting to position her legs for spooning.

  Rob whispered an incantation for “protection.” There was nothing more reliable than a spell-based condom that wouldn’t break. His uncle reminded him at length before he’d entered the service that no magical oops were allowed.

  She hissed as he slid into her wet warmth. He tried to go slow. Maybe even build a rhythm to give her the pleasure she’d given him last night.

  “Rob!”

  He squeezed his eyes shut in agony. She called his name again and again, tightened around him until he wondered if he’d finish quickly. Damn, she felt so good.

  “You want it harder?” he whispered at her neck. He quickened his pace, unable to hold in the curse that slipped through his lips.

  They soared higher and higher, cresting at some unknown peak again and again. He whispered words in Korean she wouldn’t understand—that she was his flower, his perfect moon—but that didn’t matter. The only important thing was that she was here with him. Overwhelmed with emotion, he stiffened with another climax as she reached her own release.

  Slick with sweat, they lay quietly for some time before he withdrew. Instead of pulling her into his arms, he propped himself up on the pillows and glanced down at her.

  She smiled back at him. A sweet expression he wanted to remember for the long days to come. Just her, lying like this with him.

  Tessa reached for him, gripping his shoulders before grabbing his waist. Her hand kneaded his muscles—far too roughly. Pain shot through his side—an area that had been pain-free for the last couple of days.

  He pulled back briefly. “Please don’t do that. I need some recovery time.”

  “You’ve had a whole night.” Her hand moved to caress his chest before pulling him into a hug.

  The pain that came again was sharper than he’d expected. He’d wasted far too much energy last night. He cringed as she brushed against the muscles of his ribs.

  “Sorry!” she blurted.

  Her eyes formed slits. Cautiously, she touched his skin. “Rob, you should really get that checked out.” Her fingers tentatively touched the area.

  Before he could stop her, she discovered the hidden layer of magic. Rob recoiled and sat up, but it was too late.

  She squinted, attempting to unfold the spell he placed on his midsection.

  “Don’t,” he warned through clenched teeth.

  He’d worked so hard to bind his midsection like a corset. All he could do was stare at the ceiling. Damn, what could he say now? What he had wasn’t a minor sprain.

  “Tessa, there’s something I need to set right with you.”

  She looked horrified. “Are you marr—”

  “No, I’m not married. Why would you think that?”

  “In my business, when most men are hiding something, it’s usually another woman.”

  He shook his head, not meeting her eyes. “It’s not another woman.” He paused. “Remember when I left you after the fight at the bar?”

  She nodded.

  He released the folds of magic around his middle and they dissipated. Layer after layer around his midsection. It was both freeing and quite painful.

  “I went down to the Bethesda Naval Hospital for treatment. For an injury I received during a rescue and recovery mission a few months ago back in South America.”

  “An active duty mission—as in one for the Navy SEALs?” Her whole body clenched against him. “I thought you weren’t in the military anymore?”

  Rob bit his lip and he stared at the far wall. “I didn’t want my aunt and uncle to think I’d have to suddenly up and leave. I just wanted to help them out while hiding my problems.”

  He said a final incantation. In moments, the veil over his injury cleared. He didn’t need to look down to see what her wide eyes took in: A large scratch marred his skin under his chest muscle to curve toward his ribs. Bruises were a mottled yellow in places. Stark white bandages were draped around his middle. A costly hour with a local wizard had only done so much.

  “I’ve been doing repo jobs at night and reporting to the hospital for treatment once in a while. I’ll be going back to Fort Briggs as soon as the doctors sign off.”


  Anger practically boiled off her skin. “You lied to me. To everyone.”

  His head dropped. “Tessa, I—”

  “No. Don’t try to explain.” She scooted away from him.

  He tried to reach for her and he winced.

  Damn it all to hell. This moment should’ve been funny. They should’ve laughed it off while he groaned in pain, but not everything worked out that way. He should’ve trusted her and told her he was active duty and on medical leave.

  And now the look of pain in her eyes was one he wanted to take away.

  What a fool she was. Tessa gave into this fantasy for the moment, hoping Rob would offer her something different. But like some of her matchmaking clients, he withheld the truth until it suited him. “I knew you were rough around the edges, but I didn’t suspect you to be a liar.” She left the bed, searching for her clothes.

  With clenched teeth, he stood and snatched her pants away. The mask on them had faded overnight. “I think you’re overreacting. I haven’t lied to you.”

  “Lied—withheld. It doesn’t matter. All I know is that I can’t deal with this right now.” She pushed him out of the way. “Move!”

  She knew this would happen. This revelation was punishment of some kind. She was already failing at her business. Why not screw up a relationship, too?

  Not only had Rob lied to her, but even worse, he’d lied to his family. His poor aunt had no idea that her nephew was active duty and soon he would need to leave. As to when, she didn’t know how the system worked. Probably not any time soon since he was in pretty bad shape. One thing she did know was that once Rob left, he wouldn’t be around to support his aunt and uncle.

  Her thoughts flashed to his aunt. A woman she’d gladly place above her own Aunt Daisy.

  “I need you to let me to explain myself.”

  “No need. I’ve heard enough.” She grabbed her pants. He didn’t fight her as she dressed.

  “I’m trying to hold things off as long as I can. I’m supposed to be convalescing until the hospital clears me to return.”